Synonyms:1. fleet, expeditious.
Quick, fast, swift, rapid describe speedy tempo.
Quick applies particularly to something practically instantaneous, an action or reaction, perhaps, of very brief duration:
to give a quick look around; to take a quick walk. Fast and
swift refer to actions, movements, etc., that continue for a time, and usually to those that are uninterrupted; when used of communication, transportation, and the like, they suggest a definite goal and a continuous trip.
Swift, the more formal word, suggests the greater speed:
a fast train; a swift message. Rapid, less speedy than the others, applies to a rate of movement or action, and usually to a series of actions or movements, related or unrelated:
rapid calculation; a rapid walker. 5. abrupt, curt, short, precipitate.
7. nimble, agile, brisk.
10. See sharp. Usage note:The difference between the adverbial forms
quick and
quickly is frequently stylistic.
Quick is more often used in short spoken sentences, especially imperative ones:
Come quick! The chimney is on fire. Quickly is the usual form in writing, both in the preverb position (
We quickly realized that attempts to negotiate would be futile) and following verbs other than imperatives (
She turned quickly and left).
See also slow, sure.